All for the love
by Construct Master
Summary: There's one crush Oshawott's kept with him that just hasn't died. Why? Maybe it's more than a crush. Maybe he actually loves Meloetta. OshawottxMeloetta. First love story. Am very nervous. PLEASE REVIEW! (This has a bit of drama/humor/adventure, but not enough to justify another Genre)
1. Chapter 1

**So. This idea sparked as a story to be written for Valentine's day. And to be fair, it was first written only a week after the holiday. After which it was subsequently ignored, and only months later I completely redo and post it. But still. For all you OshawottxMeloetta lovers, this is the start of their relationship that would eventually lead to my Meloetta, Airalin! Enjoy and please review!**

Nightime in a city can be interesting. In some, nearly everyone drops off and goes to sleep in their homes. Other cities never sleep, and the bright lights and activity keep on from dusk till dawn. Striaton city was somewhere in between. The town in Unova had quieted, but lights were still on in the marketplace, and some people still wandered the streets. The restaurant that doubled as the city's gym was dark.

Inside on the top floor was where the Gym Leaders made their residence. Rather than purchase an apartment or two, or even a house, Cilan and his brothers had decided to simply live at the gym, renovating the ornate, semi-circle attic into a home.

This is where Ash Ketchum and his friends were spending the night. Just before Ash was going to leave for the Kalos region, Cilan had received an urgent call back home to help Cress and Chili. The group had resolved the issue, and now they all slept, soon to resume their plans.

Cilan and his brothers slept in their respective rooms, but not before setting up the two guest rooms for Ash and Iris. In Ash's room, all that could be heard was quiet snoring from the trainer. Pikachu lay on his back on top of him. The little mouse was looking up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. If there was one thing Pikachu hated more than his Pokeball, it was being awake and bored. Especially in the dark.

Suddenly, the sound of an opening Pokeball broke the silence. Pikachu sat up and looked around for the source of the noise. What he saw was a little blue Pokemon starting to sneak out of the room.

"Oshawott? Are you okay?"

Oshawott turned to Pikachu. Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "I have to go."

"Go where?"

"I don't know for sure. But I have to leave. I've put it off way too long."

Pikachu jumped down next to his companion. He said, "You're leaving me and Ash? Why?"

Oshawott looked down. "Could we talk about this outside?" He whispered. "I don't want to wake Ash." Turning, he walked toward the door, followed by Pikachu. The hallway lights were on, but dimmed for the night.

"Well Oshawott? We're here, why are you leaving?"

The water type was still looking at the ground. "I've been thinking about doing this for a while now. Ash's journey in this region is about over, and that means all us Unova Pokemon are going to be taken to Professor Oak's laboratory to live while Ash goes who-knows-where with you."

Pikachu smiled. "Don't be worried about that! His Pokemon there are really nice! There are all sorts of things to do at Oak's Laboratory."

"I know." Oshawott looked up. "But Unova is my home. I want to find a home here. Maybe I'll find someone special, and start a family."

Pikachu cocked his head, saying slowly, "Family? I've never heard you say anything like tha–" He paused. His yellow face developed a grin. "Oh. Oooohh. I get it."

"Get what?"

"You're lovesick."

"What?! No!" Oshawott cried before immediately hushing himself. He whispered frantically, "What makes you think that?!"

"Because it makes more sense than what you're saying."

Oshawott folded his arms and said, "And if I'm serious?"

Pikachu was about to make another witty remark when he saw something. Oshawott wasn't just defending himself in the silly, childlike way he normally did. His face was red, but there was a definite resolution to his tone. Oshawott wasn't making this up.

"Okay," Pikachu started, "Let me think. You sure look like you're telling the truth, but that would be a serious change of character for you. So...ooh! I know!"

"And what has Pikachu the detective deduced?" Oshawott groaned.

"You're not leaving with nowhere in mind. You're looking for someone. Otherwise you could just look around Professor Oak's laboratory or something."

"…..Fine. You got me."

Pikachu jumped up next to Oshawott. "Great! So who is it? An Emolga? A Petilil? That Meinfoo we met a while back?"

"Could we not talk about this?"

"No, no, who is it? What about that Frillish we-no, she tried to kill you. Maybe it's the Purrloin that wasn't a guy?"

Oshawott sighed, his face deep red. "Since you're determined to make me relive every embarrassing crush I've ever had, let me speed it up and say that she's a lot rarer than any of your ideas."

Pikachu paced back and forth. He stared down at the ground, ignoring the Oshawott while he thought aloud. "Rare..rare…we haven't met a lot of shinies, unless he has some kind of weird thing for Onix… OH! My gosh I'm an idiot; it was too obvious!" He looked back up. "MELOETTA!"

Oshawott sighed again, nodding slightly with his hands behind his back. "That's the one."

Pikachu stood up and said, "Now that makes sense. I mean you were constantly fighting with Piplup for her attention; I could hardly talk to you for days after she left. Wow, if it were any other Pokemon I would try to get you to stay, but Meloetta.."

Oshawott just looked down. He didn't say a word.

"Okay, Oshawott, I understand. You really miss her. But how will you find her; last you saw she was flying away on a Golurk!"

"I'll figure that out. I'm going to find her, Pikachu."

Pikachu dropped to all fours. "Okay. Okay. Alright then. I'm not going to stop you. Oshawott, you've been great. You've been fantastic!"

Oshawott smiled and hugged Pikachu. He said, "Thanks Pikachu. There's no way I'd be where I am if I didn't have you to cover for my dumb moves."

"No problem," Pikachu responded, "Now go find your dream!"

* * *

"So you're just going to up and go into the wild?"

"I said I'll figure it out. And you might want to work on your closing lines."


	2. Chapter 2

The little blue Pokemon clambered up the mountain. His white face was red from exhaustion. His short arms and dark blue feet were worn. Water types don't usually climb this high, at least those without a second type.

Finally reaching a plateau in the slope, Oshawott stopped to rest. Plopping down and leaning against a rock, he looked out over the land he had climbed. Eastern Unova stretched out before him. The Pokemon saw the mountain slope down into the hills of Route 14. Way out on the horizon was Undella town. The trees of White Forest towered over the surroundings, but were still tiny from Oshawott's perspective so close to the peak.

Closing his eyes and folding his arms in his lap, Oshawott thought about his journey so far. After walking away from Pikachu weeks ago, he had immediately headed south. He started in Nuvema town, and had scoured every square foot of that peninsula, slowly working his way north. He was looking for a sign, any sign at all of Golurk or Ridley. He was listening ever-so-carefully for a song, a certain childlike voice. So far, nothing.

It wasn't that bad at first. The Patrat and Herdier living in the area were largely nonhostile. Most left the little Oshawott alone. At one point he had accidentally stumbled upon a family of Lillipups and Herdiers. The mother of the family had offered him food, and that night Oshawott had a good night's sleep in a den for once.

As he went farther north, he started having to battle. Sometimes he would accidentally intrude on a Purrloin's territory, or meet a headstrong Blitzle spoiling for a fight. At first Oshawott found it hard to cope to battling without Ash. He had to choose from his movepool on his own; learn how different Pokemon fought. Oshawott was strong from his travels, but he was still a silly Oshawott. Most starter Pokemon would evolve before they gained a real battling ability without their trainer. It took a lot of trial and error, but by the time Oshawott passed Nacrene City he had surpassed that. Not even the cockiest Blitzle would challenge him, and Oshawott avoided any chance of aggravating their Zebstrika parents.

And then he hit Pinwheel forest. Or to him, home to some of the most irritating Pokemon ever. Oshawott was constantly egged on by Sewaddle and Venipede, finding shelter only from sympathetic Tranquill or Pansear families. The Sewaddle were little more than nuisances, like mosquitoes. The Venipede meanwhile were nearly murderous.

A couple of new trainers had tried to catch him. The ones that weakened Oshawott enough were surprised when their Pokeballs had no effect. Oshawott's ball was still with Ash, and the starter was just fine with things staying that way. The last thing he needed right now was to end up going on another trainer's journey.

Oshawott bypassed the Skyarrow Bridge. His plan was to go all the way to northeastern Unova before heading south again. It was tempting to visit the security of Castelia City, but a lone starter wandering the streets would be far too suspicious - and besides, why would Meloetta hide there?

White Forest, Route 14, Undella Town..Oshawott passed them all. He was listening all the way, honing his sense of hearing, to the point where he could hear a Liepard sneaking up on him. Still nothing.

Now, up on the mountain, Oshawott sighed. _"This is stupid,"_ he thought. _"I'm walking across an entire stupid region to find a two-foot tall Legendary Pokemon in hiding. Why? Because of a stupid crush that won't go away, even though Meloetta was completely oblivious to how stupid I acted before in my stupid lovesick insanity."_

Oshawott got up. He started climbing up the mountain quickly, stirred on by frustration. All the way he muttered to himself.

" _Nearly every attempt I made to impress her she barely realized. Even when Piplup was trying to kill me she just watched with this confused stare. It's like she couldn't comprehend the idea of a crush or love or something. She just liked everyone. Even people and Pokemon she just met; if you weren't a threat you'd become her best friend in no time. She would take on an Onix to protect us, barely breaking a sweat, and once we're safe she'd just revert back to the sweetest, cutest Pokemon ever. I mean look at her, beautiful green hair, blue eyes you could stare into for days, and a singing voice lovelier than any stupid Jigglypuff or Chatot. And on top of that-"_

Oshawott stopped. He realized that his mental rant about his crazy journey had turned into speaking aloud everything he loved about Meloetta. And instead of huffing up the mountain, he had started running. And he had run all the way to the peak of the mountain.

All around him the Unova Region stretched out. Hills, rivers, White Forest, Marvelous Bridge, Lacunosa town, Oshawott could see it all. The sun was setting; its red visage starting to disappear over central Unova.

"Wow," Oshawott breathed. Then he smiled. "Somewhere out there..I'll keep looking." Standing on the peak of the mountain the little blue Pokemon yelled, "JUST WAIT MELOETTA, I'LL KEEP LOOKING!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Looking for who?"

Oshawott jumped. He whirled around to see who spoke. Instead of a familiar Pokemon he just saw a floating…face of ice? The face spoke again. Without moving its mouth, as far as Oshawott could tell.

"Whoever this Meloetta is she is definitely not on top of this mountain. So why are you? I've certainly never seen your kind before."

Oshawott stammered, "Uh..I'm looking for Meloetta. I'm-"

"I gathered that much. You were saying?"

"I'm Oshawott."

"Species name or birth name?"

"Species name I think..what do you mean birth name?"

The face of ice sighed, releasing a cloud of cold mist. "Some Pokemon species prefer to give their children names at or prior to birth, like humans. Usually it's psychic types that do that. What type are you?"

"Water."

"Have you evolved? Do you have any evolutions?"

"I have two evolutions, Dewott and Samurott. I haven't evolved yet. Hey-"

"What type are they?"

"They're just water types too; but hold on-"

"Are you an equal gender ratio species, hundred percent female, hundred percent male, or both with an imbalance. If so which gender is dominant?"

"WILL YOU STOP?!" Oshawott shouted. The stranger stopped talking, but didn't flinch for a second.

It took a second for Oshawott to adjust to a wild Pokemon bigger than him actually listening. He recovered quickly and asked, "So who are you?"

"Cryogonal, species name. Ice-type. No evolutions. Genderless species."

"Well what's with the interview?"

"Whenever I meet a new species I immediately get rudimentary information about them. Unless they are hostile fire types in which case I leave. Now follow me."

"What?" Oshawott was caught off guard. "Where?"

Cryogonal turned around and started floating down the slope. "To a cave one hundred and twelve feet from here. The sun is going down and you're certainly not acclimated to spend the night on an open peak. So unless you want to freeze to death follow me."

* * *

Oshawott stepped slowly into the cave. While he had followed Cyrogonal it had started snowing. Already drifts had started developing on the mountainside. It was now dark out, but a dim orange light emanating from the cave kept Oshawott from tripping. Well that, and Cryogonal's weird glowing eyes and…mouth? Beard? Oshawott wasn't sure what to call it.

Cryogonal spoke. "Just keep going. Fairly soon you'll find a small family of Slugma and Macargo. I have no idea why they continue to live here, but they're fire types and they'll keep you warm for the night."

"Where are you going?"

"Back outside. I rather dislike excessive heat, so I spend the night outside. Goodbye."

Cryogonal started to float towards the cave mouth. Oshawott thought for a second before suddenly crying, "Wait!"

The face of ice turned around, sighing again. "Yes?"

"You asked why I was up here. I never answered you."

"Alright."

Oshawott looked down at the cave floor. Telling this emotionless Pokemon about his limited love life sounded a lot easier in his head. "Uh..I'm looking for Meloetta. She's a Legendary Pokemon that I sort of had a crush on. I haven't found her yet, but I'm looking everywhere. That's why I was up here."

"Does this Meloetta know how you feel?"

"I'm not sure…I don't think so."

"Well do me a favor and tell her when you find her. No point in having hidden love like that. How long have you been searching?"

"About a month I think. I started in southeastern Unova and I've just been working my way north."

"What does this Meloetta look like?"

Oshawott jumped up and said, "Oh, she's beautiful! She's a little taller than me, has mint green hair, blue eyes, a pretty black dress with a green band, white-"

"What type is she? Does she travel with anyone else?"

"Um..I think she's part psychic type, and she travels with a human named Ridley and a Golurk."

Cryogonal nodded. It stated, "That confirms it. Meloetta, species name, normal-psychic type, female, travels with male human and Golurk, ghost-ground type. They came through here four months, twenty days ago. I met them, brought them to this cave for the night and saw them off in the morning. I overheard them saying something about Lacunosa town. I also noticed the term 'New home.'"

Oshawott stared at the ice type. "You have no idea how much that helps."

"I think I do. Now would you like me to accompany you in the morning?"

 _"What?!"_

"Accompany you. Do you know what that means?"

Oshawott stammered, "Um..I think. It means you want to go with me, but why?"

"Because I most likely know a lot more about the Lacunosa area than you do. I could use a chance to do something different besides sit at the mountaintop. And what you're doing is an admirable cause. Impressive really. So, do you accept?"

Oshawott thought for a moment. Cryogonal was right, getting to the other end of the mountain would probably be a lot easier with a native guiding him. But Cryogonal's personality was less than appealing. Bold, abrupt, practically unmoving. But Oshawott didn't feel like going into northern Unova blind, especially with some of the Pokemon that lived up there.

"Sure, you can come."

"Thank you. Have a good night Oshawott." And with that, Cryogonal floated outside.


	4. Chapter 4

The little blue Pokemon stepped outside. The snow had stopped falling, leaving crystal-white drifts all around the top of the mountain. The orange semi-circle of the rising sun perfectly framed the distant Undella town, miles away on the glistening coast. Long, flat, white clouds streaked the dawn sky. The only way this scene could have been more amazing is if Ho-oh himself had flown past.

"Lovely view. Now, are you ready to go?"

Oshawott whirled around. Cryogonal was floating by the cave entrance, expression unchanged from last night.

Oshawott responded, "Uh..I think."

"You seem to 'think' quite a lot. Are you sure of anything? Of course you are, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Now before you ask I will lead you to a berry patch along the way towards Lacunosa, so you can expect breakfast soon."

"Well…okay, let's go!"

Cryogonal started floating down the mountain, followed by a scrambling Oshawott. The two traveled in silence for half an hour before reaching the treeline, and a little while longer reached the berry patch Cryogonal promised.

The ice Pokemon suddenly stopped and said, "We have arrived. Check the surrounding bushes and you will find the berries. The orange ones are Occa Berries, and the blue variants are Rawst berries."

Oshawott started looking, and within a minute had an armload of food ready to be eaten. He bit into a rawst berry and said, "Thanks for bringing me here. Are you going to eat anything?"

"My species does not need food. I will be fine."

"Do Cryogonals need anything to survive? Water, sunlight?" Oshawott asked, trying to make conversation.

"For basic survival, only occasional exposure to water. I'd imagine a Cryogonal could spend roughly a month in deep space with no trouble at all, save for boredom. Then he would require a supply of water equal to half his body mass to refresh. Normal ice does not require this, but ice with a sentience, like a Cryogonal, needs something to keep on. Of course this is only my hypothesis; I doubt anyone I'd ever meet knows precisely how a Cryogonal works."

Oshawott finished the last berry and stood up. "You must be one of the smartest Pokemon I've ever met."

Cryogonal turned and floated away, saying, "Unlikely. Now let's continue."

"Okay!"

Oshawott was feeling chipper, with a full stomach and bright day up ahead. He followed Cryogonal as they walked through the forest. He continued looking around, but he wasn't listening for Meloetta like he had before. No need to worry about that! If Cryogonal heard right, she and Ridley were now living in Lacunosa town! Oshawott knew where that was, Cryogonal would lead him to it, and then it was just a matter of searching the small town until he found Meloetta. Simple!

At least, that's what Oshawott was thinking. And it was what he continued to think as he and his icy companion traveled north for the rest of the day, stopping only occasionally. As they went Oshawott told Cryogonal about Meloetta, Onix Island, the Undersea Temple, her song, in essence his entire history with the Melody Pokemon. The best part was that Cryogonal actually seemed to listen, and didn't criticize his choices hardly at all! By the time Oshawott laid down in an improvised bed of leaves that night, he felt on top of the world.

Cryogonal, meanwhile, was busy thinking. The ice type had simply led Oshawott through the simplest and most practical safe path, mentioned any relevant dangers in the area, and remained aware at all times of nearby wild Pokemon. However, his mind was also processing the stories Oshawott told, and spent much of the night running through those stories to formulate a single piece of advice.

The next morning, Oshawott got up bright and early only to find Cryogonal waiting nearby.

"Do you sleep at all?"

"I can enter a state of suspended animation, but I don't often do so."

"Ok then."

* * *

Finally, at midday they reached a pathway cutting through the forest. Cryogonal stopped and said, "This is where I leave."

Oshawott whirled around. "What?"

"This is where I leave. That is Route 13. Lacunosa town is just down the road. I do not intend to go into Lacunosa Town, and what we know suggests that Lacunosa town is the most likely place for you to find your Meloetta. So this is where we part ways." And with that the face of ice turned and began floating away.

"Wait!" Oshawott ran after him. Cryogonal stopped and sighed. Oshawott said, "You've been so helpful, why don't you come with me?"

"Do you want the full explanation?"

"..Sure."

"A Cryogonal is a rare Pokemon to begin with, and seeing one in a town not under the ownership of a trainer will arouse unnecessary attention. Furthermore, you are most likely trying to get me to continue with you because you fear your previous insecurity with Meloetta will lead to you botching the whole thing all over again, and you assume that having someone with you will help make the situation less awkward. Oshawott, I am a genderless species, thus I cannot experience love in any way stronger that a friendly bond. I can attempt to grasp the concept as an intimate relationship between two opposite gender individuals, but I am hardly the ideal choice for someone to save you from your crush. If what others have told me of my personality before is true, I will most likely agitate the situation even further by saying something completely reasonable to me but completely offensive to Meloetta or completely embarrassing to you. Do you understand?"

It took a minute for all that to run through Oshawott's head. Finally he sighed. "Ok. You're right; I need to figure this out on my own."

Cryogonal spun sideways a little. "If you want my advice, my theory is that your best option is to simply tell her how you feel, and be prepared for rejection, acceptance, or shock. I think Meloetta has either never been loved the way you love her before; she has and that relationship ended in such a way she has tried to ignore love out of loyalty to that past companion; or she is in love with Ridley. For your sake I am hoping for the former, but I cannot say for sure. However, your safest option is to ignore what I have just said, as I cannot be considered a credible option for love advice."

Then Cryogonal noticed Oshawott was suddenly looking rather miserable.

"In fact, judging from your current demeanor I have already agitated your chances at a relationship, so I will now leave before I make things worse.

Oshawott closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up. He smiled and said, "It's fine. What you're saying makes perfect sense, and you know what?"

"Yes?"

"'l choose the safest option. Ignore everything and go for it!" Oshawott turned around and started down Route 13, yelling, "Thanks Cryogonal! I'm going to find Meloetta anyway!"

Cryogonal watched from the bushes and shouted, "Oshawott!"

"I'll be fine!"

"Lacunosa is in the other direction."

"Oh. Thanks!"

Cryogonal chuckled at seeing Oshawott's red face when he realized his error. As the Pokemon ran by and down the road, the ice type said to itself, "Hmm. Must remember to chuckle more."


	5. Chapter 5

The little blue Pokemon looked around. He had run all the way from Route 13 to Lacunosa Town, and now he stood by the Pokecenter in the middle of town. The buildings looked fairly normal, but the pathways and roads appeared old, and were built with ornate stones. A few bridges crisscrossed over buildings; a novel design making the small town that much prettier. Oshawott chose one of the bridges as his destination and ran toward it.

Once he had found the way to the top, he looked out over Lacunosa. The entire town was surrounded by old stone walls. Towards the outskirts of the town, beside one of the corners of the walls a large glass dome was built for Pokemon championships. Oshawott remembered coming there for the Junior Cup with Ash. He also remembered Meloetta coming with them…

Lacunosa wasn't anywhere near city-sized, but there were still a lot of buildings in a lot of different shapes and sizes. It was here that Oshawott realized how massive his task was. Meloetta could be living in any one of those houses.

"Oh boy..Well, better get started."

And he did. Oshawott walked from one corner of that town to the other, checking every house and asking Pokemon he met. Sometimes it was as simple as asking Pidove who lived in the house. Other times he had to actually knock on the door and hope for the best.

At one point as the sun was going down he rang yet another doorbell. An older woman came to the door. She looked around for a moment, confused, before looking down and seeing Oshawott.

"Oh hello you little thing! What's a little Oshawott doing knocking at my door?"

"Osha, Oshawott. Osha!"

It was at this point Oshawott was questioning the intelligence of his plan for about the hundredth time. Humans couldn't understand him, so all he could do was hope that a Pokemon in the household heard him.

The old woman watched Oshawott for a moment before saying, "Do you need something? A place to stay? Some food?"

"Osha Osha-Oshawott. Wottwott." The little blue Pokemon sighed and turned around, walking away. The woman watched him go curiously, before shrugging and closing the door.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Oshawott muttered to himself. "I'm never going to get anywhere unless I want to knock on every door and _hope_ Ridley or Meloetta answers. But that would be equally stupid as they are in hiding. Ugh."

Oshawott saw a small flock of Pidove landing nearby, and went over to see if they knew anything. The most he had gotten in Lacunosa was from the little normal-type birds.

"Excuse me?"

Three of the Pidove immediately looked at him. One said, "Yes? Hi! An Oshawott? What's it doing here?"

Another answered, "Maybe it's lost. Maybe needs directions. Course best way to know is to ask. So, yes, yes?"

"Have you seen a certain Pokemon lately? She's a little taller than me, has mint green hair, blue eyes, and a pretty black dress with a green band."

The Pidove looked at each other for a moment. The third turned back to Oshawott and said in, "Mmmnope. This Pokemon have a name?"

"Meloetta. There's a human traveling with her too, a blue haired man with goggles. He's named Ridley."

"Nopetynope. Nothing. Any other recognizable things about her?"

"Umm..oh! Of course! The human has a Golurk he travels with!"

"B-B-Bingo! Saw a Golurk a few months ago, flying over this town. Heading north. Haven't seen it since; sound right?"

Oshawott's eyes lit up. "Yes! That sounds right! Thank you!"

The three Pidove nodded. "No problemo!"

"Have a good day!"

"Best of luck!"


	6. Chapter 6

It probably would have been wise to get some sleep before going to search yet more unknown forest. But Oshawott was done with waiting. He had been sure he had found Meloetta, just to learn she was probably even farther north. At this rate, it wouldn't surprise him if Ridley had gone to another region. He was going to follow as quickly as possible.

As he tramped out of Lacunosa town, sun setting to his left, he once again started searching with the same scrutiny he had when he first walked out of the Striaton Gym. Looking around every tree, and listening as hard as possible.

He didn't hear Meloetta, but what he did hear was nighttime Pokemon starting to come out. As the sun set, the happy calls of Tranquil faded, and replacing them was largely silence, accented by nocturnal bug Pokemon.

Before long, Oshawott's hearing picked up on something different. It felt like something was stalking him. Which would not be new feeling, having been watched by Leipard before. Before climbing the mountain where he had met Cryogonal, the dark types had mostly left him alone. Liepard were much less territorial than Purrloin. Regardless, Oshawott didn't want to get into a fight right now, so he started moving faster.

It was almost dark now. Oshawott thought to himself, _"I'm going to need to find somewhere to sleep."_ No more talking aloud now. Oshawott was tired. Not only looking for Meloetta, but for a place to stop for the night.

Finally Oshawott found a little stream running down a hill. Having nowhere better to go, he followed it. A few moments later he emerged in a clearing, with a pond in the middle. To the right a rock wall rose sharply. To the left and ahead, the forest continued. The clearing was small enough that overhanging trees sheltered it almost entirely from the sunlight and moonlight. What was left of the sun was gone now, and night enveloped the forest.

" _Well, let's see. Maybe there's a cave or something I can spend the night in."_

Oshawott walked towards the hill wall. The shadows made the rock pitch-black, too dark to see openings. He started feeling along the side.

" _Rock, rock, rock..what the?"_ Oshawott felt wood. And not just tree bark, he was definitely touching finished wooden planks. He realized there was a sort of porch built in front of him. The Pokemon climbed up on it and felt a rock wall again, but this one was smooth and polished. Someone had made a home in the cliff face. It was practically invisible in the dark. As near as Oshawott could tell, it was human-proportioned.

Thoughts started flying in Oshawott's head. _"Maybe it's Ridley's house! Or maybe it's someone else who lives out here. Would they let me in? Would they try and catch me? Where else am I going to sleep?_

Whatever it was, Oshawott didn't want to knock now. But he did want to knock now. Where else would he spend the night?

" _But I don't want to wake up Meloetta if she's in there. That wouldn't be a good introduction. Wait, there's a chair on the porch; maybe I'll just spend the night there._

The feeling and sound of being stalked had gone. Whatever it was that had been following Oshawott had left. The forest was quiet and asleep. Oshawott climbed into a wooden chair by the door and curled up. He tried to sleep. Half an hour later, he was getting nowhere.

Here he was, in a rocking chair on the doorstep of what could be the Pokemon he had spent months searching for, and he was trying to sleep. Yet every time Oshawott got up to knock on the door, he was driven back by his thoughts. _"Maybe it's not Meloetta. And if it is, I don't want to wake her up."_

It was another torturous hour before Oshawott's warring thoughts allowed him rest. But when he woke up at dawn, the exact same game started. Without a single thought to breakfast, Oshawott started pacing up and down the porch.

" _It's dawn Oshawott! Why would she be up at dawn?! She's probably sleeping at least till a decent hour._

 _But what if she's not? She was an early riser when she stayed with us._

 _She wasn't used to Cynthia's house. Everyone wakes up early when they're not familiar with the place._

 _The place was an actual mansion! If she wakes up early in a comfortable bed like that, she will anywhere!_

 _But I don't know if Meloetta's even in there!_

 _So what do I do? Wait until someone comes out?_

 _No, that's dumb. I just need to wait a little longer. She should be awake then."_

'A little longer' turned into an hour, then two.

" _Maybe she's a late sleeper._

 _You're just afraid. Knock on the door, you stupid!"_

Finally, Oshawott braced himself up, walked towards the door, raised his arm, took a deep breath, and knocked.

…..

…..

Nothing. Oshawott knocked again.

…..

…..

 _"See, she's asleep. Maybe there isn't anyone-"_

The door opened abruptly. Oshawott found himself staring at a man's knees. He looked up. Staring back down at him was a man with messy blue hair and a tan shirt, with a ribbon of red around the top. It was Ridley.

"Hello, who are you? An Oshawott? What are you doing here?"

Oshawott didn't want to repeat his many encounters in Lacunosa. But what did he say?

"Osha, wott. Oshawott?"

Ridley got down on one knee. "Hmm. How about this: nod yes or no. Do you need food or a place to stay?"

Oshawott shook his head no. He tried to shimmy to the side a little; trying to get a look at the inside of the house. Ridley moved with him, blocking his view.

"So you don't need that. Is anything in danger?"

Oshawott shook his head again.

"Are you looking for somewhere?"

Oshawott's eyes were wide with stress.

"Are you trying to find someone?"

Oshawott jumped up. "Yes! Meloetta!" He yelled in Pokemon language. "CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME SEE MELOETTA!"

"You..you mean me?"

Oshawott froze. Ridley looked over his shoulder, and stood up. With him out of the way, the little blue Pokemon got a perfect look at the Pokemon floating in the doorway. A Pokemon a little taller than him, with mint green hair, blue eyes, and a pretty black dress with a green band.

Meloetta floated closer. She smiled and said, "Wait, I remember you! You were that sweet Oshawott traveling with Ash! Hi!"

Oshawott's heart rate doubled. He couldn't speak. This monumental moment, a year and a half in the making, and he couldn't speak. Meloetta cocked her head, floating down to stand in front of him on the ground. "Are you all right?"

"I…hi…I..uh…came to talk to you.."

Ridley spoke. "Meloetta? Do you know who this is?"

Meloetta looked up at him and nodded, smiling. She motioned back inside of the house.

"You want me to go?"

Another nod. Ridley shrugged and obeyed, walking off the porch. Meloetta floated to the edge of the house's porch. Oshawott followed, sitting down alongside her. He looked at the pond in front of the cliff face. Not having eye contact with Meloetta made speaking easier.

"So, how did you find us? Is Ash coming?"

"No. Just me."

"Really? What happened?"

"I left him…right before he went to another region."

"Why?" Oshawott could feel Meloetta's eyes on him, but couldn't get the courage to look back at her.

"I…I was looking for someone."

"Me?"

The tone in Meloetta's voice was curious. Oshawott was sure he was sweating more than he ever had before.

"Um..yes.."

"But you didn't know where I was - did you look all over Unova for me?"

"Just the eastern third; it wasn't too much."

"That's so sweet! You spent all that time looking for me? But why?

"I wanted to tell you something."

 _"Ohmygoshthisisit. Come on Oshawott, look her in the face for this, you have too!"_

"It must be important! What is it?"

Oshawott turned and stared right at Meloetta's blue eyes. He took a deep breath, and he finally said what he had said in his mind for months:

"I….love you."

Meloetta's curious expression turned to one of shock. She opened her mouth. She closed it. Then her white face turned red in a deep blush. Oshawott just looked at her, until both of them looked back at the pond at the same moment.

There was silence. For minute after minute the two blushing Pokemon stared at the quiet pond, not saying a word. It was a stark contrast to the absolute chaos in their heads.

 _"He loves me? Really? He came all this way..and that's why he acted weird before…oh my gosh…what do I do? That's so sweet..and I….what do I do? Someone hasn't told me they loved me in so long…"_

 _"YOU IDIOT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? CRYOGONAL TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE HIS ADVICE, BUT NOOOOO, YOU JUST UP AND TOLD HER WITHOUT ANY BUILDUP AT ALL. BRACE YOURSELF OSHAWOTT, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET A WELL-DESERVED SLAP."_

Finally, Meloetta broke the silence.

"You..really…love me? You searched that long…and did all those things when we were with Ash…because you love me?"

"….Yes….."

Oshawott stared at the pond, still yelling at himself. Then he heard Meloetta sniffle.

 _"OH LOOK, NOW YOU'VE MADE HER CRY! HOW COULD YOU BE SO DUMB! JUST WALK AWAY NOW, YOU STUPID LOVESICK STARTER!"_

But Oshawott didn't walk away. He said, "Are you ok?"

"I'm.. _sniff.._ ok. I just haven't been loved like that for centuries. I…really?"

"Re…Really."

"Can you say it again? Please?"

"I love you... I love you Meloetta." Oshawott kept going, words forming on their own. "I've loved you since the day I met you. You're the most amazing Pokemon I've ever met."

Suddenly Oshawott, still staring at the pond, felt arms warp around him. Then a moment later, Meloetta kissed his cheek. Oshawott could feel a tear hitting his head. He couldn't think of anything to do. The screaming died down. After several seconds, Meloetta pulled away. Oshawott looked at Meloetta. She was crying a little, but she still smiled at him.

"I love you too Oshawott."

The little blue Pokemon just stared. The impossible was true. Oshawott loved Meloetta, and Meloetta loved him back. The screaming in his head returned.

 _"WELL YOU STUPID, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! KISS HER!"_

Oshawott smiled. Then he leaned forward and kissed Meloetta back. The couple hugged each other, continuing to kiss. That was it. Not happily ever after, but happily ever loving.


End file.
